


The Penrose Steps

by rinthegreat



Category: Free!
Genre: Disjointed, Horror, M/M, MakoRin Week, MakoRin Week 2014, Psychological Horror, Supernatural Elements, seriously this is actually scary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 17:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2782034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinthegreat/pseuds/rinthegreat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A person could climb the stairs for the rest of their lives and never get any higher.</p><p>Day 2: Horror</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Penrose Steps

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't edit this because it's late and it scared me. Consider that your warning. Also this relates to the Penrose Steps in a more abstract way than a literal one. I'll let you figure that out.

          “The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.”

― William Golding, _Lord of the Flies_




            Makoto is sitting in Haru’s living room playing cards with him and Nagisa when it happens.  “Mako-chan, is that a grey hair?”  The blond asks casually.

            If he were Rin, he’d know that Nagisa was just trying to get Makoto to walk away so he can look at his cards, but he’s not Rin.  And speaking of Rin: “He won’t like you if you go prematurely grey, Makoto,” Haru agrees.

            It’s strange because Haru rarely agrees with Nagisa.

            He doesn’t think about that though.  Instead, he runs into the bathroom as fast as he can and stares at his reflection in the mirror, scrutinizing it.  He can’t tell in this light, but one of the hairs does look greyer than the other.  Makoto pulls it out quickly, wincing a little, before he pulls it taught and holds it up to the mirror to get a better view.  It’s not grey, that’s for sure.  But something’s wrong.  The hair he’s holding up and the strand in the mirror don’t match in length; his is slightly longer.  Makoto stares a few seconds before looking up to meet his own eyes in the mirror, a confused look on his face.

            His reflection leers back.

 




            Rin’s not sure how it happened, but somehow Momo had gotten it into his head to play a stupid game called Hide and Seek Alone.  The game’s a load of bull, at least that’s what Rin convinces himself when he rolls his eyes and goes into his dorm room. 

            “What’s going on?”  Sousuke asks from the top bunk, reading one of the many books on shoulder injuries Rin gifted him.

            “Momo and Ai are being idiots,” he says as he drops down to do some extra pushups.  Sousuke grunts and goes back to reading.

            Rin is barely three pushups into the first set when it happens.  The power goes out, shrouding the room in darkness.  He eases himself up and looks around to see any clues to what happened.  Nothing.  Must’ve been someone else who blew the fuse.  His attention is diverted by a knocking at the door.  It’s insistent and never ending.

            “Get that before it gives me a headache,” Sousuke groans from his bunk.

            “Yeah yeah,” Rin’s already halfway there.  “What?”  He asks as he yanks the door open.  He should be more surprised to find Momo out there, looking terrified.

            The other boy tackles Rin, slamming the door closed behind him.  “It’s not in the tub anymore.”

            “What?”  Rin asks, not comprehending.

            “The doll.  It’s not in the tub anymore.”

 




            Makoto clings to Rin the second he walks into his apartment.  Haru and Nagisa are still sitting in the living room playing board games.  “What the…?”  Rin asks, his arms still wrapping around Makoto despite his clear confusion.

            “Nagisa’s trying to scare me.”

            “Oy, blondie!”  Rin yells, dragging Makoto along with him into the living room.  “What did I say about scary movies and Makoto?  They don’t go together and it keeps me up all night.”

            Nagisa just giggles.  “I didn’t make him watch a movie; I just pointed out his wrinkles.”

            Rin pushes Makoto away at that, and Makoto looks down to see that his hands are veiny and grey.  He reaches up and feels his skin; it’s rough, like sandpaper.  He and Rin exchange horrified looks before Makoto melts into a pool of goo on the ground.

 




            The tv is set to static as Rin and Momo cower behind the couch.  It’s a horrible hiding spot, but Sousuke said he would take care of it and left with a glass of salt water, leaving Momo and Rin with one each.  Momo’s taken to checking the tv every thirty seconds to see if the static has changed to a location, and Rin has taken to glaring at Momo barely blinking.

            “Rin-senpai, watch the door,” he manages to whine and whisper at the same time.

            Rin just keeps glaring at him.  “What could possibly possess you to play such a stupid game in the _dorms_?”  He hisses.

            The tv set uncrackles, the location revealed.  Rin sees a pair of jeans he recognizes as the vision from the tv pans up and his heart stops.  It’s Makoto.

 




            Makoto bangs on the glass from the inside as he watches the mirror image of himself approach Rin.  He’s holding a doll in his hand, a needle stabbed in its eye and red thread trailing out from its seams as he backs Rin into the wall.  Makoto’s mouth opens in a silent scream as he watches himself rip the needle out from the doll and plunge it towards his boyfriend.

 




            He grins to himself as he watches the two figures sleeping in their adjacent beds, their limbs twitching.  For every nightmare they wake from, they’re plunged into another along with the help of the hundreds of needles poking out of their skin.  The monitors near their heads beep with life signs that go off and on as necessary.  His grin sharpens as they twitch, life signs going out and meets his own red eyes in the glass.  Oh this would be fun.


End file.
